The distinction between gift relations and commodity relations is addressed,

Gift exchange in contemporary culture

(http://www.ubishops.ca/baudrillardstudies/vol4_1/baldwin.htm)

Relevance of social exchange theory to consumer behavior

(http://www.nd.edu/~jsherry/pdf/1983/Gift%20Giving.pdf)

Investigate the process of gift giving and examine the behavior underlying the actual

exchange of objects(including its structural and motivational components)

• Shopping mall

• The exchange of women as a vehicle of alliance formation

• Reciprocal gift giving as a concrete representation of an individual´s social

network,observing that the nature of the gift changes as intimacy decreases.

• Cross-cultural study:Examination of gift price categorized by types of

recipient and occasion.

Gift exchange at Christmas,birthday,namnsdag,everyday situatiion(when visiting

someone)..etc (Gift dimensions such as price or quality could be used to

create,maintain,modulate, or sever relationships with individuals or alliances with

corporate groups)/ Gift giving occasions can be formal structural events marked by

ceremony and ritual ( 2 concepts: ritual,gift exchange)

Method suggestions:open-ended interviews